Page 22 - The Gluckman Occasional Number Four

Arturo Tuskanini

As a child, Arturo
Tuskanini displayed an
unusual talent for music.
He loved to listen to music,
to perform music, and even
to study music theory. His
inclination was matched by
an uncanny ability to play by ear; he had perfect pitch and an almost
photographic memory. At the age of three he was repeating back
long phrases of Bach’s Chromatic Fugue and Fantasy after hearing it
once on the radio.
His parents encouraged him, releasing
Arturo from most of the responsibilities
of domestic life while he steadily
progressed in his musical education. He
went from teacher to teacher, amazing
them all with his knowledge and
proficiency. No elephant had ever gone
so far so fast. At the age of seventeen,
his first sonata for unaccompanied trumpet was published, to great
critical acclaim. Arturo felt he had found his calling: he was a
musician.
Soon he was in demand in
all the musical capitals of the
world. He left home and
embarked on a grand world
tour. In England he appeared
as soloist with the London
Symphony Orchestra. Paris
adored his performance in
Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto.
And the Viennese, haughty
musical aristocrats, accorded Arturo the honor of leading their
Philharmonia in a stirring rendition of Mendelssohn’s Hebrides
Overture.